Lawsuit challenges funding on $630M Arkansas highway project

November 8, 2018 at 10:24 AM CST - Updated November 8 at 12:19 PM

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Five Arkansas residents have filed a lawsuit to challenge whether a large part of funding can be spent on a $630 million project to improve the Interstate 30 corridor through Little Rock and North Little Rock.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the lawsuit filed Wednesday contends that Connecting Arkansas Program money can't be spent on Interstate 30 because it's a six-lane highway. The lawsuit argues that Amendment 91 governs the program money and limits improvements to four-lane or two-lane highways.

The Connecting Arkansas Program funds regionally significant highway projects. The program is contributing about $448 million for the I-30 project.

The lawsuit also says Amendment 91 prohibits spending the program proceeds on an ongoing project to widen part of Interstate 630 in Little Rock. Connecting Arkansas is contributing about $58 million for the I-630 project.